footprintsWinter 2009 INSIDE: s Homecoming preview s President’s Ambassadors Living out Isaiah 61 Alumni are carrying out their ministry calling in a variety of professions Zxà çÉâÜ vÉÑç ÇÉã4 Makes a great Christmas gift! Call now to have yours in time! The Wayland Century: 100 Years of Presidents, Policies and Pictures is still available for purchase. This coffee table version of the Wayland history book includes a narrative of the highlights of the school’s first 100 years. It also includes memories from former and current students, a timeline of both Wayland and national events, and more than 400 images from the last 100 years. The book sells for $40 and proceeds benefit student scholarships. Available at the University Store or through the Office of Public Relations: (806) 291-3586 or [email protected] FOOTPRINTS - Volume 56, No. 2 Editorial Board Danny Andrews, BA’72 Features Publisher Teresa Young, BA’94 2 A Display of His Splendor Editor Profiles of four individuals demonstrate Jonathan Petty, BA’95 how WBU alumni are living out a calling Assistant Editor to ministry through different vocational fields of service. Alumni Officers Kevin Carter, BBA’93 President Coming home Sally Dillman Eaves, BS’75 14 Vice President The Homecoming celebration for 2010 will Danny Andrews, BA’72 take on a fifties feel with a rockin’ theme Director, Alumni Development and the first homecoming dance on the Susie Vera, AAS’84 schedule of events. Secretary Executive Board 24 Cream of the crop Dr. Gary Abercrombie, BS’73 Wayland’s President’s Ambassadors Bryan Bishop, BS’94 represent some of the top students in front Dr. Barbara Allen Carr, BA’89, MEd'92 of audiences both on and off the campus, Rose Ann Chavez, BSOE’06 sharing their love for the university. Tyke Dipprey, BSOE’96 Brenda Gonzalez, BA’73 Mike Manchee, BS'94, MEd’97 Joseph Mares, BA’98 Departments Richard Miller, BS’87 Daleyn Schwartz, AAS’85 Student Spotlight Caren Smith, BA’92 On the cover: 15 Dion White, BA’92, MBA’96 A collage of images represent the free- 16 News in Brief Danny Wrenn, BA’84 dom that is promot- ed by alumni in 18 Athletics Review various professions FOOTPRINTS is published by the Association of Former as they minister to 26 President's Pen Students at Wayland Baptist University. No outside advertising is the broken, griev- accepted. Wayland Baptist University is affiliated with the Baptist Thinking Out Loud General Convention of Texas. Wayland is accredited by the ing and hopeless of 27 Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of our society. All Colleges and Schools to award degrees at the associate, baccalau- 28 Development Feature reate and master’s levels. Contact the Commission on Colleges at images are from 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call 404-679- Dreamstime. 4500 for questions about the accreditation of Wayland Baptist 30 Class Notes University. Non-profit rate postage paid at Lubbock, Texas 79404. Telephone (806) 291-3600. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to FOOT- PRINTS, Wayland Baptist University, 1900 West 7th St. CMB If you have any questions or comments about Footprints, drop an e-mail to 437, Plainview, TX 79072. Wayland Baptist University does not discriminate on the basis Danny at [email protected], Teresa at [email protected], or write to us in care of race, color, religion, age, sex or national origin in administra- of the Wayland Alumni Office. tion of its policies, admission policies, scholarships and loan pro- grams, athletic and other school administration. The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV) 2 footprints Living out Isaiah 61 Regardless of their chosen vocation, Wayland alumni are touching lives and speaking freedom to people through ministry in a variety of careers. They’re living out the words of Isaiah as the presence of Christ in a dark world. footprints 3 Comforting t Pond uses role as funeral director for ministry purposes By Teresa Young TULIA – Steve Pond was all set for a career in the ministry when God derailed his plans a bit. Little did he know at the time he was still headed for ministry, just in a completely different way. Raised in Oklahoma, Pond graduated from Lee High School in Midland, Texas, before heading off to college at East Texas Baptist University with the inten- tion of becoming an activities minister. Needing a part-time job, he signed on with a local funeral home, having never attended a funeral. After two years, he transferred to Hardin- Simmons to continue his education, soon meeting his future wife, Kim. Still intent on ministry, he applied at an Abilene funeral home where a friend was working. “When I went on the interview, I had long hair and a beard,” recalls Pond, who now co-owns and runs Kornerstone Funeral Home as the director of the Tulia location. “The first thing he told me was that I’d have to cut my hair. I said I would.” While the nature of funeral home work never bothered Pond, he said he did wrestle with whether God was leading him away from his original career goal. He quit after a year and sat out three months, then finally went back and worked full-time, beginning to believe this was his life’s path. “The Lord just pulled me back into it. I fought it for a while, though,” he said. “I just knew it was a min- istry and the Lord was calling me to it.” A soft-spoken, gentle man, Pond said things began to comfort all who mourn, the oil 4 footprints g the mourning to fall into place after he finally sur- rendered to God’s call. After Kim graduated from HSU, the couple moved to the Metroplex, where he attended mortuary school, earning the equivalent of 52 college credit hours in the span of a year. He took morning classes and worked as a security guard from 4 p.m. to mid- night, giving him a perfect place to study for the intensive mortuary study courses. After completing the school, Steve moved his family to Plainview and began working for Lemons Funeral Home. After eight years, the company asked Pond to run Wallace Steve Pond, a 1998 BSOE graduate of the Plainview campus, stands inside the lobby Funeral Home in Tulia, and eventually of Kornerstone Funeral Home in Tulia, which he co-owns and operates as the funeral director. he moved to family to the smaller community 25 miles north of Pond said he knows he is where have faith because they know where Plainview. he belongs and is glad to be in a their loved one is, and it’s easier on Around that same time, Pond ministry that fits him to a tee. me as well,” he said. “Knowing (their decided to pursue completion of his “We see people at the most diffi- loved one) is in heaven eases the college degree at Wayland. With his cult time of their lives,” he said. pain a little bit. We just tell them various credits from the past, he was “Ministry is my lifestyle, and people everything we’re going to do and able to finish the Bachelor of Science know I’m a Christian. They know who then hold their hand and walk in Occupational Education degree I am. I enjoy being able to serve through it with them.” one class at a time, graduating in these families at those difficult times The process of a funeral takes 1998. so they don’t have to worry about the about 100 man-hours from start to A few years later, Pond and three details. finish, Pond said. After the first call co-workers decided to go in business “It’s my job to walk them notifying them of the death, they together and eventually opened through that process as easily as must go pick up the deceased and Kornerstone Funeral Home in Tulia in possible.” return them to funeral home for any 2004. Later that year, Pond and his Pond said the faith component, preparation, including embalming if partners – Joel Culp, Matthew while not required in the industry, is needed. They set an appointment Gregory and Gabriel Gonzales – essential to his work in the funeral time with the family for arrange- expanded the business into Plainview home and with grieving families… on ments and get the obituary informa- and built a new facility off Southwest both sides of the table. tion together. “It’s easier on the families that Third Street in 2006. continued on page 13 rn, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, oil of gladness instead of mourning footprints 5 to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from d Sharing true freedom Houska finds rewards in prison chaplaincy By Teresa Young wife Vernell lived in Wichita Falls and he worked for the city while pastoring there.